Failing Trinity

Wyn's resurrection

What wrong with the Tory Welsh MPs?

In the happy two parliaments when there were no Tory Welsh MPs, there was speculation that the species was in danger of extinction.

Now there are three, but where are they? The excuse for Redwood’s unforgettable spell as Welsh secretary was that it was Hobson’s choice. But not now. After all, the present spokeswoman is a less than staggeringly wonderful English MP.

Now Cameron is having one of those ‘reviews’ that he despises so much when Gordon Brown has them. It must have been a tough choice of which of three intellectual giants on the Welsh Tory bench will lead it. Of course, it’s none of them. They are all flaky on any extension of devolution that is likely to rob them of their power, influence or seats.

There are other problems. They all figure high on the scale of barminess. Cameron winces painfully every time Top Cat Davies speaks. Crabb has got a private members’ bill that he is hawking around to gain supporters. His resistible line of persuasion is his promise that the bill has the backing of the Countryside Alliance, the NFU, the British Horse Alliance and Country Land and Business Association. What a parcel of rogues ! The bill, I believe is trying to prevent people suing if their children get kicked, bit or trampled  by horses. Then, there is third Tory MP. But he is invisible.

The job goes to Lord Wyn Roberts.  So deep has his hibernation been in recent years,  many observers were surprised to hear that he is still alive. He has been rightly praised for his work for the Welsh language. He held a firm line in insisting on extending the teaching of Welsh to all schools in the country. No politician in modern times can match his practical achievement in promoting the language.

It’s a real stride forward that the Tory Welsh Conference this week is the first at which translation equipment has been used. One AM planned to speak in Welsh.

With Wyn leading the way, can the nasty party become the sensible party?

Fleshpots

Cripes! A LibDem caught thinking.

Steph Ashley had the effrontery to erupt from the mire of political platitudes with a sharp observation by saying that “Llandudno is the place people from the North West of England go to die”.

How dare she ? Political opponents have hit back with a cliché storm, ‘Llandudno is now an exciting and interesting place to live and visit.’ That the stuff of political banter, predictable, vacuous, self-serving.

Others into political hara-kiri have described Penarth, the throbbing heart of Welsh debauchery, as a place where people go to get into the right mood for the grave. If Steph’s guide to the fleshpots of Wales continues, there is a danger that people might start reading her blog.

Meanwhile let’s all contemplate the wild joys of Llandudno and Penarth. I can already feel my pulses racing.

Balkan wisdom
The view from my window has improved today. The exotic zigzag patterns are on the façade of he Co-operative Branch  (Ljubljana Branch) I’ll have a word at my Co-op Branch in Newport. It’s time the manager got out the emulsion and brighten ours up a bit. Newport could become the new Llandudno.

I am in Slovenia as a member of the Western European Union Defence Committee. Slovenia is chairing the Council of Europe for the first six months of this year. It’s a country with a smaller population than Wales. They are playing a major part in Balkan and European politics.

Slovenia was the first country to break away from Yugoslavia and is naturally cautiously supportive of Kosovo.  The Defence Committee is a wonderfully liberating forum for open debate. The stultifying conformity of Westminster encourages a uniformity of error which infects all major parties. Now it’s on Afghanistan. Most other European countries have the sense to keep out of Helmand Province.

Entreaties to persuade France, Germany and Italy to join the Helmand Mission are falling a bit flat.

The message of all three British Parties to our European partners is, 'Join us in Helmand and you too can achieve nothing at the cost of the lives of 60 of your soldiers’